Lots of Painting...The House That Is

I HAD A DREAM

Okay, not the "let's change the world" kind of dream. I had this plan that, as everyone slept, I would wake early and paint a few hours each day this summer. I just didn't think it would be outside...on a ladder. As my husband and I surveyed the exterior of our house the other week, we realized that someone (shoulda been suspicious right there) needs to repaint the shutters. No big deal. One week and I'll be done. Oh, and while we're at it, we really should scrape and paint that area above the garage, and those pillars. Too high? Okay we'll rent SCAFFOLDING.

THERE'S MORE

Oops, almost forgot. The contractor called back and can start the basement now. (Which means we are gutting the utility room and turning it into that extra bedroom we need.) While we are doing the utility room, we need to finish the gameroom so we can order the carpeting all at once.

CHANGING EXPECTATIONS

Somehow, this summer isn't turning out the way I envisioned it. So? Change the vision. Instead of painting every day for a few hours, I'm setting a goal to finish two paintings by the end of the summer. That's doable. I've signed up for a 2-day workshop with Phil Salvato at the end of the summer. That will keep me motivated. All that's left is to finish that portfolio to send to a broker in a few weeks and enter two international juried exhibitions. A little more modest goals, but the key is balance. And a freshly-painted house!

Plein Air Competition, "Paint Herndon"

Check out this link: Paint Herndon. It was sent to me by artist Tricia Ratliff. Although I'm not from Virginia, I used to live there and Herndon is a beautiful historic area. It would be a great place to participate in a plein air event.

A Tribute to Robert Rauschenberg

"People ask me, "Don't you ever run out of ideas?" In the first place I don't use ideas. Every time I have an idea it's too limiting, and usually turns out to be a disappointment. But I haven't run out of curiosity." --Robert Rauschenberg

Back when I was studying "modern" art in college, there were several artists whose work changed my whole way of thinking about art. I remember studying the paintings of Richard Diebenkorn, Robert Rauschenberg and Francis Bacon and being awestruck. This wasn't the art I had grown up with or was even vaguely familiar with. This was something entirely different, and it opened up my eyes to the exciting world of conceptual and figurative art.

On May 12, 2008 Robert Rauschenberg died at the age of 82. He is best known for his innovative assemblages using nontraditional materials, like trash from the streets of New York and a stuffed goat. On the work above, "Canyon", he's attached a bald eagle to the canvas. What I've always found most fascinating about his work is the depth and layers of texture. His paintings are more like sculptures at times. Today's artists working in multi-media assemblages owe a nod of thanks to the great master.

Inspire Me Thursday-Everyday Objects

This self-portrait collograph was created by gluing everyday objects onto foam core. I used pine needles, a pop can top, bubble wrap and corrugated cardboard. A layer of modge podge or acrylic spray over the objects keeps everything intact. After the protective coating dries, paint directly onto the objects. I used watercolor paint and watercolor printmaking paper. To transfer your image to the paper, lay your paper over the foam core and, using a burnisher (a small bottle of Elmer's glue works well) rub the paper firmly. Be careful not to damage the paper. You can wipe the foamcore clean and reapply your paint many times.

Was Michaelangelo a Crook?

Like you, this headline caught my attention. I discovered this post at The Best Artists website and found that this is a well-known story among art historians.

The story reads like this:

Like most young artists Michelangelo copied the works of the masters, but he was better at it than the rest. A pen-and-ink copy he made of a copper engraving by Martin Schongauer impressed everyone. It was perfect. He was so good at copying and aging his work with smoke that no one could tell the difference.

Then came the charge of fraud in the notorious Cupid case. Michelangelo carved a marble figure of a Cupid and then, through a shady merchant, sold it to a cardinal as an original antique statue just unearthed in a Roman garden. There is no doubt that he did this. The only question is about his role in the scheme, his guilt. Whose idea was it?

Nobody knows for sure Michelangelo's motives, but what is known is that the cardinal wasn't the only one duped by the merchant. Although the cardinal paid over 200 ducat for the cupid, Michelangelo was only paid 30. In a letter to Michelangelo he writes, “Things didn’t go as well as I had expected. The Cardinal said he already has more antique marbles than he knows what to do with; and anyway right now he is up to his neck in debt. The most I could get from him—and not even that was easy!—was forty ducats. I know this is disappointing; I’ve decided to send you thirty ducats and to take only ten for myself instead of the 40% we had agreed on. I think we were just unlucky. In another moment we might have gotten three times that.”

To read all four parts of this story, go to The Best Artists.

Used with permission.

Megan's portrait, finished

This is the final version of Megan's portrait. My original intent was different than what you see here. I discarded the details in the background since the strength of the portrait is in her expression, not the location. I think either cropping would work but my personal preference is the close-cropped head and shoulders. In the end, the client will choose which they prefer.